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Euronews
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
What lies ahead for Karol Nawrocki, Poland's new president?
Conservative historian Karol Nawrocki took office on Wednesday as Poland's president, potentially setting the country on a more nationalist path and threatening Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist government agenda. Nawrocki's supporters describe him as the embodiment of traditional, patriotic values. Many of them say Nawrocki reflects the values they grew up with, according to political scientist Dr Ewa Marciniak from the Centre for Public Opinion Research. "The public says Nawrocki has a strong personality, that he is a man who strives hard for his goals, tries to achieve them," Dr Marciniak told Euronews. In the meantime, Nawrocki is expected to hit the ground running, as he has pledged significant legislative action that could challenge the ruling coalition, Marciniak pointed out. "He has many ready-made laws which he will refer to the parliamentary majority," she said. "Now, of course, there is the question of whether these bills are acceptable, given the economic and financial circumstances in which Poland finds itself." Can Nawrocki and Tusk just get along? While most day-to-day decision-making in Poland is in the hands of the prime minister, the president holds the power to influence foreign policy and veto laws. According to surveys, the majority of Poles fear that the cohabitation between Tusk and Nawrocki will not be harmonious. The latest survey conducted by United Surveys for Wirtualna Polska shows that 62.1% of participants believe there is a risk of conflict between the two, while only 21.4% trust they will see eye to eye. Nawrocki, who was supported by US President Donald Trump ahead of a narrow victory in a runoff election in June, had no political experience before campaigning. He was not even a political party member until being approached by the conservative Law and Justice or PiS party that governed Poland from 2015 to 2023. Meanwhile, Tusk, a former European Council president who returned to lead Poland's centrist Civic Coalition government in December 2023, has clashed with conservative forces over EU integration and social policies. Experts fear that the impending clash might negatively affect both the Polish people and the way Poland is perceived abroad. "Some of my fellow academics believe that it will not be cohabitation, that we should forget about this term at all, that it will be a permanent battle of advantage, who will drive whom into a corner, who will win some battle in terms of image and politics," Dr Marciniak said. "But it is also important to remember that it is not the politicians who have to enter this political fray, because we are still the subject of politics. We either lose or gain as a society," she explained. Nawrocki's campaign echoed themes popular on the US right. A common refrain from his supporters is that Nawrocki will restore 'normality,' as they believe Trump has done. And as things stand, other Polish conservatives might decide to rally behind Nawrocki, according to Dr Marciniak. "It will be an 'anti-Tusk' melange, because according to the announcements, the first words of the new president, this is one of the key principles or one of the key narratives and action." Challenges await both at home and abroad Nawrocki's quick political rise has not been without controversy, with reports linking him to underworld figures whom he met while boxing or working as a hotel security guard in the past. Nawrocki has also been linked to a scandal involving the acquisition of a Gdansk apartment from a retiree. Allegations suggest Nawrocki promised to care for the man in return but failed to fulfil the commitment, leading the man to end up in a publicly funded retirement home. Nawrocki's shifting explanations raised questions about his transparency and credibility. After the scandal erupted, he donated the apartment to a charity. According to Dr Marciniak, while the polls show significant backing, with Nawrocki enjoying the trust of most Poles, considerable parts of the society remain unconvinced, and his main domestic task might be to instil confidence that these scandals are behind him. "The most crucial one is the unclear situation when it comes to obtaining a flat. The second thing is these sporting fights, these set-ups, which no matter how some leaders of the right showed that this is something normal, well, it is not normal." "And I think these are the two issues that are going to have quite a long-lasting impact on him," Dr Marciniak said. Meanwhile, there are also challenges Nawrocki will have to face abroad. As a newcomer, he is an unknown internationally and in the EU, he will have to prove his mettle as an equal among his new peers. "He will have to build up his position anew, and this initial situation in which he finds himself, these labels that have clung to him during the election campaign, suggest that this will not be an easy task, because, however, presidents of states become people who are already experienced," Dr Marciniak concluded.
Euronews
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Poland's ties with US a key issue in Sunday's presidential runoff
New data from the Polish research agency the Centre for Public Opinion Research (CBOS) shows that Poles hold the most negative view of their relationship with the United States since the fall of communism. However, despite the negativity, there is no doubt that the US is fundamental to both Polish and European security. Some, including the Law and Justice (PiS) backed presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, argue that Poland "needs the certainty that a future president will care about Polish-American relations". Likewise, Rafał Trzaskowski, the Civic Platform (PO) candidate, said that Poland should "strive for the closest possible cooperation between the United States, the European Union and Poland, because together we are a power." But can the relationship with Washington have a tangible impact on the election results? Relations with the United States have become one of the key themes of the presidential campaign. With the ongoing war in Ukraine and security issues along the border with Belarus, the two remaining candidates in the race ran their campaigns on the premise that they would be the ones to ensure the closest possible transatlantic cooperation. During a parade to mark the anniversary of the Polish Constitution, conservative presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki met with the Polish community in Chicago to celebrate the holiday and express his support for maintaining close ties between the two countries. The previous day, Nawrocki was received in the Oval Office by US President Donald Trump, after attending an event to mark the National Day of Prayer. In an interview with Republic TV, Nawrocki said that Trump apparently told him, "you will win". "You can see... it is clear from this conversation that this relationship is important for President Trump," he added. Several senior Law and Justice officials, including party president Jaroslaw Kaczynski, expressed their support for Nawrocki and hailed his meeting with Trump as a success. "Karol Nawrocki is the only candidate who can guarantee Poland's security and maintain strong alliances in difficult times, especially with the US," wrote Elżbieta Witek, former speaker of parliament, in a post on X. However, not everyone was so supportive of Nawrocki's visit. "The attempt by Trump's team, which is friendly with Putin, to influence the presidential election in Poland shows their colonial attitude towards Poland," wrote MP Roman Giertych on social media. Many conservative politicians in Poland have welcomed Trump's policies, despite the US president's clashes with Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Without the Americans, it is difficult to imagine a lasting peace, and yet we all strive for it," Morawiecki said in an interview with Euronews in March. "Without American support we in Europe would not have been able to maintain peace for decades." Current Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed similar sentiments. "Today my conclusion is absolutely unequivocal, there is no one but the United States who can stop Putin," he told Euronews. "That is why I believe that President Donald Trump, through his determination, can end this war," he added. Duda was the first international leader to visit Donald Trump at the White House after his inauguration in January. Most Poles recognise the military might of the US, leading many to appreciate the strategic relationship between the two countries. A survey conducted in March for the Polish weekly magazine Polityka found that 85% of respondents recognised US power as a military presence on a global scale. But at the same time, the percentage of Poles who say the US has a positive impact on the world is falling. In a survey conducted by CBOS in April 2025, only 20% of respondents said the US had a positive influence on international politics, the lowest recorded result since the agency began measuring opinions in 2006. Data from the same survey also shows that only 31% cent of Poles would rate Polish-US relations as "good," another all-time low. Key figures from the Trump administration have praised Poland's policies, including the country's commitment to security spending and a tougher migration policy. In February, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth described Poland as a "model NATO ally" after a meeting with his Polish counterpart Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. In turn, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed similar sentiments in a statement. "Poland and the United States stand together as partners in building a safer and more prosperous future for our peoples," he wrote. "We look forward to further strengthening our cooperation on energy security." Representatives of Poland's governing coalition, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, have in the past openly criticised the Trump administration. "Europe is ready to face Russia without the support of the US, and Poland is stepping up its efforts for the security of the Baltic Sea," Sikorski said in an interview with the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet. In an interview with TVN24, Tusk admitted that Trump is "a much more difficult partner than any US president before." Despite these critical voices, on the campaign trail Trzaskowski expressed the desire to work with the United States as a key partner. He emphasised economic and security cooperation between the two countries, especially in the face of Trump's sweeping tariffs. "Your presence in our country confirms American security guarantees for Poland. The fact that you are investing here, despite the war across our eastern border, is proof that Poland is safe and stable," he said in March during a meeting with entrepreneurs affiliated with the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland (AmCham). "American entrepreneurs were in Poland much earlier than US troops," he added. Regardless of the election result, US defence experts are convinced that Poland will play a key role in keeping the peace in Europe. "Poland is already doing a lot in terms of defence, but I think there will still be a lot of work to be done, and Poland can play a leading role as a key country on the front line where there is the greatest threat to the alliance from the Russian Federation," Rebeccah Heinrichs, a senior analyst at the Hudson Institute and director of the Keystone Defence Initiative, said. Italy and Kazakhstan have signed a set of deals worth €4bn during a visit by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Astana. The agreements were across a variety of sectors, including oil and gas, renewable energy and water management. Meloni said she did not consider her visit "merely a formality, but substantial". "Italy was the first EU nation to have decided to invest in relations with Central Asia and its individual member states, setting up a stable format for the sharing of ideas," Meloni continued. The Italian prime minister added that the EU-Central Asia Summit held in April had elevated relations between the regions. Her Kazakh counterpart Qasym-Jomart Tokayev said his country attached "great importance to the development of trade between our states". "Italy is Kazakhstan's third largest trading partner and the largest within the European Union. The volume of trade has reached 20 billion dollars (€17.6bn)," Tokayev noted. Before heading to Kazakhstan, Meloni visited Uzbekistan for the first leg of a Central Asian trip that began on Wednesday. For the occasion, one of the city of Samarkand's main streets was given the name "via di Roma", Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said. At the meeting between Meloni and Mirziyoyev, a joint declaration was signed that paves the way for €3bn in agreements between the countries.
